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I'm married at 19 but my parents don't know. How should my spouse and I do the taxes in a way that my parents can still claim me as a dependent and don't know about the marriage.

I'm a college student that got married in Sept 2024. My parents want to put me as a dependent on their taxes like they do every year. How can my spouse not claim me in his taxes so that my parents can without causing any sort of issue? Step by step instructions would be great help especially when the question about spouse comes up in the taxes on TurboTax. 

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8 Replies

I'm married at 19 but my parents don't know. How should my spouse and I do the taxes in a way that my parents can still claim me as a dependent and don't know about the marriage.

A spouse can never be claimed as a dependent.   When you are legally married your filing choices are to file married filing jointly or married filing separately.  Filing "single" is not an option and would mean you are filing a false tax return.

 

You do not mention whether you have income that you will be entering on a tax return of your own.  Dependents often file their own tax returns in order to seek a refund of tax withheld from their paychecks.  Did you have income in 2024?   Do your parents help with or check your tax return?

 

You and your spouse could file married filing separately, and your own return could say that you can be claimed as someone else's dependent.  Your parents could still claim you in that situation.   Your spouse would have the disadvantages of filing married filing separately----which would include not being able to use any education credits --- is he also a student?   

 

 

**Disclaimer: Every effort has been made to offer the most correct information possible. The poster disclaims any legal responsibility for the accuracy of the information that is contained in this post.**

I'm married at 19 but my parents don't know. How should my spouse and I do the taxes in a way that my parents can still claim me as a dependent and don't know about the marriage.

I only had one paycheck in 2024. My spouse is in the AirForce. My parents don't help me with taxes or see them, but they have someone do them every year. How could I file my own taxes and be claimed as a dependent then?  

MindyB
Employee Tax Expert

I'm married at 19 but my parents don't know. How should my spouse and I do the taxes in a way that my parents can still claim me as a dependent and don't know about the marriage.

If you and your husband do not file a joint return, your parents can still claim you as a dependent. ‌Make sure  your husband files his return as "married filing separately." ‌If you are required to file a return, you will do the same. ‌If your parents need to see your tax return for any reason, they will see your filing status. 

 

Here's how to select Married Filing Separately in TurboTax Online: 

  • Under 2024 Taxes on the left side, select My info, where your name is, select edit. 
  • When you get to the screen "Let's check for some other situations" choose "I was a full-time student" AND "Another taxpayer can claim me as a dependent on their tax return."
  • The next screen is About your household. Here, choose "Married" and "Plan to file separately"

If you only had one paycheck, you might not even need to file at all unless you are expecting a refund.  Check here: Do I need to file a federal return this year?

 

Here are the rules for claiming a dependent: Rules for Claiming Dependents on Taxes

I'm married at 19 but my parents don't know. How should my spouse and I do the taxes in a way that my parents can still claim me as a dependent and don't know about the marriage.

For clarification: 

I don't have to file a tax return 

My spouse can file Married but filing separately 

My parents can still claim me as a dependent. 

 

My questions are: 

1. In my spouse's tax return, he would be needing my SSN for spouse info, so if my parents also enter my SSN in as a dependent, would that flag anything? 

2. Is there an option in my spouse's tax return on TurboTax where he can check off a box stating that someone else can claim me? ex: my parents. 
If so, when he reviews the tax return papers before filing it, where would that checked box be shown?

 

I'm married at 19 but my parents don't know. How should my spouse and I do the taxes in a way that my parents can still claim me as a dependent and don't know about the marriage.

Yes, when your spouse prepares his tax return, he has to enter that he was married and he has to enter your name and your SSN on his tax return.  And he will need to mark that you can be claimed as his dependent.  That information will appear on his tax return up near the top of the first page of his Form 1040.

 

 If you file a tax return using MFS filing status, you must enter your spouse's name and SSN.

 

And this is not tax advice....but....secrets have a way of surfacing, so be prepared.   In these days of social media, if anyone knows about your marriage, it is going to leak to your parents.   Back when I was in college in the 1960's, long before social media, my college freshman roommate eloped with a motorcycle gang member she had known for three weeks and thought she could keep it a secret.   Within three weeks her parents who lived 150 miles away found out...and what a scene it was.....( I am not the one who blabbed...)

**Disclaimer: Every effort has been made to offer the most correct information possible. The poster disclaims any legal responsibility for the accuracy of the information that is contained in this post.**

I'm married at 19 but my parents don't know. How should my spouse and I do the taxes in a way that my parents can still claim me as a dependent and don't know about the marriage.

Thank you for your advice! Sorry for all these questions, but again, my spouse entering my info and my parents entering my info won't flag it right? Also on TurboTax online, how can he mark that I can be claimed as a dependent? I'm just a bit unclear of how to do it on TurboxTax online. 

MindyB
Employee Tax Expert

I'm married at 19 but my parents don't know. How should my spouse and I do the taxes in a way that my parents can still claim me as a dependent and don't know about the marriage.

For your first follow up question, @niwiyh no, it wouldn't necessarily "flag" anything unless you were claimed as a dependent AND filed a joint return.  Be prepared if your parents are audited, as @xmasbaby0 the situation may come to light.

 

Yes, there is a place where your husband will indicate someone else can claim you as a dependent.  

  • Go to: My Info > Your household > Your name will be directly under that heading if already entered, select "edit".  If not, "add another dependent"
  • At the screen "Tell us a bit more about [your name]" select "somebody else can claim [your name] as their dependent.

I'm married at 19 but my parents don't know. How should my spouse and I do the taxes in a way that my parents can still claim me as a dependent and don't know about the marriage.

In MY INFO, as your spouse goes through the interview screens it will ask about his spouse and it will ask if his spouse can be claimed as someone else's dependent.  He will need to say that you can be claimed.  That will not cause anything to be sent to your parents.

**Disclaimer: Every effort has been made to offer the most correct information possible. The poster disclaims any legal responsibility for the accuracy of the information that is contained in this post.**
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